Credit: Inside the MagicFor those too young to remember, there was once a time when superhero movies came out every few years instead of every other month.
When Sam Raimi’s Spider-man (2002) and the first X-Men (2000) films were released over twenty years ago, audiences would have to wait at least three years between each installment. Those three years would give fans a resting period, building up hype and excitement for the next sequel to be released. Let’s call this the “resting phase.”
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Nowadays, audiences don’t have to wait long before the next Marvel or DC movie hits theaters. Collectively, studios pump out an average of five to eight superhero movies a year. In 2019, there was a whopping total of ten superhero movies, compared to the earlier years when there would only be about four max. This saturation of franchise sequels, spin-offs, remakes, and expanded universes only eliminates the anticipation and kills the “resting phase,” which ultimately brings on fatigue.
In recent years, “fatigue” has been used to describe many franchises that have overwhelmed audiences with back-to-back releases. For example, Star Wars hit fans with fatigue when there was a new film each year from 2015 to 2019. That was five Star Wars movies, one after another, for five years straight. So you can only imagine the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s effect on fans today.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe Fatigue Is Starting to Sink In
2008 was a game changer. Not only did Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk released that year with positive reviews, but it was the first time audiences saw a Marvel crossover featuring the same actor playing the same character. When Robert Downey Jr. appears as Tony Stark at the end of The Incredible Hulk (2008), fans lost their minds.
Marvel knew they were on to something immediately, but it was only the beginning. It took some time to build some steam, with only Iron Man 2 coming out in 2010, but eventually, they gained momentum. The following year, Thor and Captain America were the next duo films to release but were only paving the way for The Avengers in 2012. After the success of the movie crossover that the world had never seen, it was on. Nothing could stop Marvel Studios now from milking their characters for every penny.
The “Marvel boom” didn’t officially start until 2016, when the studio released five installments to the franchise in just a year and a half. Kevin Feige considered Phase 3 to be the most significant chapter for the universe they were building, which is why a large wave of their films came out around that time, with another three additions to the saga coming out in 2018. Since then, at least three Marvel movies have been released each year, excluding 2020, when movie theaters suffered from massive closures due to the stay-at-home orders of the pandemic. Because Marvel had to skip a year, 2021 saw the studio’s first release of four films in one year.
However, 2021 came with a strange turn of events for Marvel. When Eternals hit theaters, a wave of negative reviews came. It was the first time the studio was genuinely affected by the critics. Many audience members decided to skip out on this one, and the success of Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) quickly overshadowed it.
From there, the once mighty Marvel Studios, who could do no wrong, started to see a dip in reviews. Dr. Strange and The Multiverse of Madness (2022) caused audiences to leave the theater with mixed feelings, although most would argue it was a decent first attempt at taking the universe in a darker direction. But things became rougher when Thor: Love And Thunder (2022) disappointed moviegoers. Critics and fans alike ripped the film a new one for its poor storyline and use of characters. The film’s outrage from the lackluster outcome only foreshadowed things to come.
Fortunately for the studio, these films brought in big numbers at the box office. The year also ended with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which received positive feedback and saw audiences flocking to the theaters for more Marvel action. After all, if you put Marvel’s name on it, fans will still come to watch it. It’s due to the reputation that Marvel Studios has created for itself. Most fans expect a level of satisfaction when they go see these movies since, more often than not, Marvel does a great job delivering them. But are things starting to change?
Enter Ant-man and The Wasp: Quantumania. 2022 is a rough start for Marvel Studios, with their latest MCU installment getting backlash and negative reviews that match Eternals. Fans were excited to see the introduction to the Avanger’s newest foe, Kang The Conqueror, who is essentially their latest Thanos. Jonathan Majors was the film’s highlight, but the rest falls flat. Once again, there are mixed reviews, which makes sense since films are subjective. However, the negative criticism the film has received is like no other Ant-Man film before it.
On top of that, the movie bombed overseas and only made 7 million on its second weekend. Usually, Marvel movies make the bulk of their money in other countries, such as China, and are back-to-back box office contenders. That was not the case this time around.
The Marvel fatigue is real. The studio now also offers television series to accompany its movies, adding more fuel to the flames. Now Marvel fans have to keep up with both the releases on the big screen and small. There are currently thirty-one films and nine Disney+ series. That makes it a total of forty different installments. It was fun initially, but now it feels more like homework. If you want to stay updated with the MCU storyline, you must work many hours. And with very little “resting time” in between, more films and shows get released by the time you catch up. It’s overwhelming just thinking about the endlessness that is the MCU.
In an interview, Bob Iger mentioned earlier this month that he plans on slowing down on the Marvel stories, saying he will only focus on characters that people want to see. Hopefully, we will get more “resting time” between each installment now. But if Ant-man and The Wasp: Quantumania (2023) has taught us anything, we might need a break from Marvel for a while.
Marvel Isn’t the Only One That Disappointed Fans
Superhero films come from all directions, from both Marvel Studios and Warner Brothers. The two studios only add to the over-saturation of the market, causing more fatigue. When there isn’t a Marvel movie to enjoy, a DC film in theaters usually disappoints audiences.
Unlike Marvel, DC’s Extended Universe has always been on a bumpy road. If you want to pinpoint its exact start, we must go back to 2013 when Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel kicked it all off. From the jump, Snyder’s adaptation of the most iconic superhero had mixed reviews. Critics were unhappy with the result, while fans were so-so about it. Nevertheless, Warner Brothers trusted Snyder to build a universe competing with Marvel.
The DCEU had a few crowd-pleasing favorites, such as Wonder Woman (2017), Aquaman (2018), and Shazam! (2019), but they are few and far between. Batman Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) was supposed to be their introduction to their shared-universe franchise, the second film in the saga, but it crashed and burned hard. Critics and fans alike were baffled by how much of a letdown the movie was. It was clear from the beginning that DC could never do what Marvel could do.
After a few more bombs, DC brought on Jame Gunn to direct the retelling of their failed movie Suicide Squad (2016). The Suicide Squad (2021) was a breath of fresh air for the franchise, and audiences were finally enjoying a DCEU movie. But it wouldn’t take long before the bombs would come back.
Black Adam (2022) was supposed to be Dawayne Johnson’s attempt at saving the DCEU. Unfortunately for The Rock, the fans were not supportive of it. The film underperformed for several reasons, depending on who you ask. Some say it was Johnson’s ego, the timing of its release, the uneven storyline, and the overuse of action. The truth is that it’s hard to compete when there are so many outstanding superhero films out on the market. Some fans will still vouch for this installment, claiming it had potential, but when the movie flopped, Warner Brothers decided to pull the plug on their DCEU game plan altogether and gave Gunn the wheel.
Before Gunn can gain complete control of the DC universe, he must let a few films ride out first.
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DC fans enjoyed the first Shazam! (2019) film, but they don’t seem to be rushing to the theater to watch the sequel. Fury of the Gods only made $30.1 million on opening weekend, about twenty million less than the first. Once again, this could be the timing of its release. The same could be said for many of the more recent films that are bombing at the box office. People don’t seem to be going to the theaters anymore, and with the negative reviews from critics, most moviegoers would rather stay home if the movie is getting subpar ratings.
Even so, the combination of poor critic scores and box office duds seems to be a sign that the superhero craze is no longer the winning ticket for studios. Fans are simply not coming to the theaters, and when they are, most of them are leaving disappointed. Unless, of course, your film is directed by James Cameron.
Could ‘Avatar’ Have the Same Fatigue Effect?
We already saw what happens when too many Star Wars films are released and what is currently happening with the MCU, but does this mean Disney is cursed? Will all their franchises eventually hit audiences with fatigue?
Before Disney bought FOX, it was already known that James Cameron was working on a total of 4 more sequels to his box-office hit Avatar (2009). Luckily for Cameron, he is known as the king of sequels, with Aliens (1986) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) being some of the best sci-fi action films ever. But Cameron has never taken on a whole franchise before. The director left the Terminator and Alien series behind before they became too ridiculous for audiences to take seriously. His commitment to the five-part Na’vi story will be his longest attachment to an IP.
Cameron is off to a good start, with Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) breaking records at the box office last year and even receiving a Best Picture nomination. The director comes from the old-school days of filmmaking, so he’s considered a perfectionist. If he’s going to do a movie, he wants to do it right. It’s doubtful that Camron will let the universe he’s creating fall flat with audiences.
At this point, however, Disney is the only thing that could shoot Cameron in the foot. If Disney runs the franchise into the ground as they did with Star Wars and Marvel, Avatar could be the next series to cause audiences fatigue. There are no confirmations yet about this franchise becoming a television series at any point. Still, we already know Disney plans on adding more Avatar to their parks, a common trend they have whenever an IP is doing well. Seeing how Pandora – The World of Avatar at Animal Kingdom is a Guest favorite at the Walt Disney World Resort, this could be a good thing. On the other hand, if Disney treats the following Avatar attractions to the Parks like they did with California Adventure’s Avengers Campus, then Guests and fans of the film could be left disappointed.
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Avatar is Disney’s next Marvel, with new installments coming every other year, but let’s hope with more IPs under their belt, Disney can start to space out more of their movies instead of hitting us with them all at once. Otherwise, the fatigue and poor reviews will continue to drain audiences’ interest in these films. Not to mention, the box office numbers will continue to go down.
Gone are the days of the “resting phase,” with movies and television overwhelming audiences month after month. It’s almost unthinkable now to catch up on all the superhero movies released in the last twenty years. Sadly for fans, the endless content from Marvel could ruin a good thing they once had. 2020 was an excellent year to take a break, but it wasn’t a scheduled one. It might be time for Marvel to give things a break so that fans can rest and catch up with their current films. Otherwise, there will come a future where you will have to tell your children to sit down and watch all sixty installments of the MCU because you want to take them to the movie to see Avengers 9.
Have you grown tired of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Let Inside The Magic know in the comments.